Chapter 32: Missions

Leon left the Alchemy Laboratory. Originally, he had planned to sneak away and test the combat strength of the Clay Golem in the swamp, but he was distracted by a large crowd of people running through the tower's corridors."Hurried footsteps~~"

"Voices of many people~~"

Not once in Leon's memory had the Tower been so lively.

Usually, everyone was busy with their own affairs. Those who received tasks would go about their business; those without tasks would meditate, copy books, or work on some magical experiment… Every day in this Tower, except during mealtime, very few sounds could be heard. Even when two Apprentices met in a hallway, they would just nod at each other and move on.

But today was an exception, as almost all Apprentice Mages were running down the hallway in the same direction.

Leon was surprised and confused. He called out to his 'friend' Benson, whom he barely knew, who was also a Novice Apprentice.

"What's happening? Where are you going?"

Right after Leon asked this, Benson responded with a surprised voice, saying, "You don't know? Haven't you checked your magic talisman? Master Eclivel is summoning all official Apprentices for a meeting in the auditorium. Don't be late!"

Benson ran down the hallway after saying this.

Master Eclivel calling a meeting?

Leon was shocked by this rare event.

According to the proposal of the Zhentarim Association of the Mage Continent, as the Mage stationed in this Swamp Tower, Master Eclivel was required to give a free magic class every three months to the Apprentices in the tower. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

And normally, if an Apprentice had a question about magic, they would need to pay knowledge points or magic crystals in exchange for the right to ask Master Eclivel privately.

But unfortunately, in this Swamp Tower, which was almost isolated from the outside world, Master Eclivel was the supreme authority. Thus, he simply ignored all the rules and regulations set by the Zhentarim Association.

Over the last six years that Leon had lived in this Tower, Master Eclivel had given only a handful of open lectures… In fact, it couldn't have happened more than four times. The rest of the time, he hid in the upper floors of the Tower, rarely interacting with any Apprentice.

So, upon receiving this news, Leon was simply amazed.

Quickly pulling out a magic talisman from around his neck, Leon noticed that it was blinking with a red glow and felt slightly warm to the touch.

It seems that while performing the alchemy experiment just now, to avoid any interruptions, he had temporarily turned off the communication ability of the talisman. When he turned it on now, a deep and hoarse voice immediately came out of it.

"All Apprentice Mages who hear this message must proceed to the auditorium immediately! If you do not reach it within fifteen minutes, I will revoke your Apprentice status!"

Leon shuddered violently. He quickly put away the magic talisman and joined the running crowd.

The seats in this lecture hall were similar to the theaters of Earth from his previous life, but the raised round stage at the front of the seats was replaced by a high platform. With this arrangement, no matter where an Apprentice sat, they had to tilt their head slightly upward to look at the Mage teaching.

Apparently, the person who designed this lecture hall refused to allow any Apprentice to sit higher than the Mage, even if it was only a physical position in a space.

The spacious classroom held more than two hundred people, but the Tower had only about fifty Apprentices, so everyone sat scattered. Three well-defined groups were seen, with the three strongest apprentices at the center of each group. Additionally, a fourth group gathered around the new Lead Apprentice, Brandon. The rest of the Apprentices sat alone, showing their status as 'Lone Wolves.'

In the past, Leon had been one of those 'Lone Wolves.'

As he observed the situation in the classroom, Leon saw a figure that stood out from the rest of the crowd.

A striking red dress. A cold and arrogant face, yet beautiful and alluring… The owner of this face was waving for him to join her.

Naturally, Bleia, sitting alone, was the focus of almost everyone in the hall, and, without a doubt, her action had made Leon the sworn enemy of most of the male Apprentices in the hall.

Countless stares were landing on Leon, causing his expression to change.

That Bleia really knew how to stir things up!

But at this moment, he had no room to hesitate. He walked over to Bleia and sat next to her in silence.

"Remember, you're my subordinate. Arrive earlier next time!"

Bleia leaned toward Leon, placed her charming face next to his ear, and whispered her threatening speech. Leon felt a terrifying killing intent accompanied by her voice. It seemed that Bleia was genuinely satisfied with this outcome. With an expression resembling that of a cat that had just eaten a canary, she straightened up in her chair.

Leon sighed and thought. "I will still violate you, you bitch... Just wait... Just... wait..."

Bleia's green eyes scanned the entire hall, enchanting all the male Apprentices who met her gaze, only to make them shudder, quickly lower their heads, and avoid her eyes.

At that very moment, Leon felt another 'strong' gaze land on him, making his hair stand on end.

Shocked, he lifted his head and realized who it was!

The man who was staring at him was one of the three strongest, the Worm Controller, whose real name was Blake.

Two bizarre green lights could be seen under his hood, looking coldly at Leon. Although no words came from him, an invisible pressure began to fill the air around Leon.

Facing a guy with a Spirit stat of 19, Leon was obviously at a complete disadvantage. If they fought, Leon couldn't guarantee he would be able to complete a magical incantation under such powerful spiritual pressure.

But when he remembered the fierce battle that happened yesterday, and the look of panic in Blake's eyes as he ran for his life from the terrifying Lucy, the fear in Leon's mind immediately diminished.

'You covered your head and ran like a rat to its hole, but I saw you flee before me. Maybe you haven't even fully healed from your wounds! Covering yourself so tightly with that hood, I guess you're just trying to hide all the scars on your body, right?'

Internally, Leon was giving himself a pep talk. Whenever he thought of Blake's disfigured face hidden behind the hood, a sense of pride immediately surged in his mind, boosting his confidence and allowing him to return the Worm Controller's stare.

The Worm Controller's gaze grew colder.

Though no words were exchanged between them, both could clearly sense the slightest changes in the opponent's emotions. Blake could even see the mocking smile hidden behind Leon's stern and feigned expression.

In an instant, two flickering green flames flared up under the shadow of Blake's hood, and condensed spiritual energy began to surge violently around him, almost spilling into the surrounding area.

But in the next second, Leon, who had been locking eyes with him, disappeared, replaced by a charming face.

Bleia stepped in front of Leon and relentlessly stared at Blake. Her lips moved, but no words could be heard. Although there were a dozen meters between them, Blake could still read her lips.

"He is my man! If you dare touch him, I will kill you one by one!"

It was a short speech but depicted her fierce and authoritative nature clearly.

The Worm Controller's eyes grew even colder.

Judging by all aspects, this Bleia, who had just reached the level of Advanced Apprentice, was no match for him. Most of her abilities were countered by his. But… Apparently, Blake wasn't in his best shape at the moment. To be frankly honest, his combat strength was pathetic right now.

He would need a few more days to replenish his dead scorpions. If he were forced to fight Bleia now, even if he could win, his vitality would be greatly reduced.

However, the Worm Controller was a patient man who knew when to retreat. He shifted his eyes away, avoiding Bleia's challenging gaze, suppressed all thoughts of anger, and stayed silent.

"You're a real troublemaker! How dare you offend the Worm Controller!" Satisfied that she had forced her opponent to retreat, Bleia turned to Leon and teased him in a tone of mock threat.

Leon smiled wryly to himself.

I was forced into this situation, okay?

But faced with the domineering Bleia, he had no resentment or complaints. Because, between the two, he could feel an indescribable trust and… Dependence.

Dependence?

Leon shook his head, once again feeling that his thoughts were absurd. Bleia depended on him? Probably because he had exhausted his Spirit during his alchemy experiment. That must be why he had such a ridiculous thought—or was it?

Obviously, the delicate interaction between the Worm Controller and Bleia attracted the attention of the other two Advanced Apprentices, as they continued glancing between Bleia and Leon.

Like a mother cat trying to defend her territory, Bleia kept showing her fierce and dominant expression to these guys, giving them a look that said she would never yield to any threat.

As the atmosphere in the hall grew tense due to the interaction between the Worm Controller and Bleia, a shadow was suddenly seen swaying at the top of the high platform. Soon, the thin form of Mage Eclivel emerged from the shadows.

Holding his Magic Staff in hand, Mage Eclivel looked around the hall with his indifferent eyes. After a brief moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Today, I have both good and bad news for you!"

Everyone in the hall immediately held their breath and focused on Eclivel.

"The good news is that you will all receive a batch of resources, which will be the most generous gift you have ever received in your entire lives." Casting a wicked glance around the hall, he noted that these Apprentices remained focused on him, even though he had said something shocking.

Eclivel nodded in satisfaction, then continued, "And the bad news is… Each of you will have to take on a mandatory mission!"

"Zap!"

Mage Eclivel struck the floor with his staff, and a semi-transparent image was immediately projected at the top of the platform. Numerous green characters were seen flickering on the surface of this projection.

...

"Investigate an abnormal creature in Red Forest Village."

"Acquire a Bellflower from the Tower."

"Defend Fort Fir."

"Guard Twilight Vale."

"Eliminate an enemy in the Whispering Hunting Grounds."

"Hunt and find a low-level Succubus."

"Investigate supernatural occurrences in Black Crow Forest."

...

Line by line, most of them were Apprentice-level missions within the territory controlled by Zhentarim.

Originally, as Apprentices of the Swamp Tower, they were only required to complete the inspection mission of this resource site, which meant they were living a relatively isolated life. But now, Mage Eclivel had opened up all the Apprentice-level missions from the entire Zhentarim territory to them… Could this mean that significant changes awaited them?

Some of the older Apprentices couldn't help it, and their eyes clouded over as they got lost in thought.

...

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